In National Hockey League action, New Jersey All-Star goalie Martin Brodeur returned to the ice Friday to lead the Devils to a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals and the team's first victory in its last five games.
Brodeur stopped 21 shots in Friday's contest after missing six games due to a sprained knee. His win in Washington is the 408th of his career and moves him into sole possession of sixth place on the league's all-time list for victories.
Four Devils' players scored, to halt New Jersey's longest losing streak in four years.
Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk scored four goals in a row as the host Thrashers rallied to beat defending champion Tampa Bay 5-2 and send the Lightning to their sixth straight loss. Kovalchuk scored early and often with one tally in the first period, followed by three in the second to erase a two-goal deficit and put the Thrashers ahead by two. The Russian left winger has four career hat tricks, scoring at least three goals in a game.
Los Angeles goalie Mathieu Garon stopped 32 shots, and the Kings were perfect against the power play for a third straight game in a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. LA killed off all six of its penalties Friday, including a five-on-three disadvantage lasting more than a half minute in the second period. The Kings have foiled 21 straight power-play chances over their last three games.
Other NHL winners were the Oilers, Red Wings, Sabres and Hurricanes.
The Edmonton Oilers won for the first time in three games with a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Detroit Red Wings scored twice in the second period to beat the Minnesota Wild 3-1, the Buffalo Sabres snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Carolina Hurricanes edged the Florida Panthers 1-0.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.